[Test your Knowledge]

Every day brings a new challenge for pest management professionals. That’s because service technicians never know what they’re going to encounter when they walk into an account. As a result, every day is different. Consider the following case history, a novel pest problem at a local church that is sure to test your pest management skills.
 

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The Problem: Pests Find Religion

"We keep finding these tiny brown insects _ they look like beetles _ in the hallway of our church leading into the sanctuary. The pastor is worried that they’re going to damage the carved wood in the altar or the antique wood in the baptismal font. They must be coming from somewhere inside the church."

Here are your clues to identify the problem:

1. The beetles have been found almost exclusively around the windows at the end of the dark hallway just off the "nave" or the main worship area of the church. The windows are kept closed.
2. The cleaning lady has been sweeping up dead and dying beetles in the front hallway on and off for about two months.
3. The service technician found no moisture problems, exit holes, frass or any other evidence of wood-boring beetles in the church.
4. An opposite wing of the church houses a day care center. The church kitchen is located in the lower level of this wing. No beetles have been found in the day care/kitchen wing and there is no evidence of an infestation in that location.

Based on the evidence described above, what’s your theory? Turn the page to find the answer….
 

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The Culprit: Drugstore Beetles

An entomologist identified the insects as drugstore beetles, common pests of a wide variety of stored food products. They also can infest dried plants, books, leather, tobacco, drugs and may occasionally bore into wood. The technician explained to the church staff what the beetles feed on. He further explained that they did not seem to be associated with the kitchen or day care — the only areas where food is stored — but seemed to be limited to the main wing of the church. The pastor’s assistant then remembered the consecrated wafers, or "host," that are used during communion services. The thin wafers are made of unleavened flour and are commonly kept in the vestry near the altar.

Sure enough, when the communion wafers were checked, several packages showed evidence of drugstore beetle infestation. Since the church was dark much of the time, many of the emerging adult beetles flew to the nearest light, which happened to be the windows in the front hallway. The technician discarded the wafers, including nearby unopened packages. He also treated the hallway with a directed space spray to knock down existing adult beetles, followed by a residual spot treatment, concentrating on the window frames, and the problem was solved.

This article was adapted from Techletter, a biweekly publication from Pinto & Associates, Mechanicsville, Md. To subscribe, visit www.techletter.com, or call 301/884-3020.
 

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Drugstore Beetle

Stegobium paniceum (Linnaeus)

Description: Drugstore beetles look almost identical to cigarette beetles. They are 1/16- to 1/8-inch long, light brown to red-brown in color, humpbacked in appearance, and the head is not visible. They differ from cigarette beetles in that they have pits on their wing covers arranged in long rows, whereas cigarette beetles have smooth wing covers. In addition, their antennae end in a distinct club composed of three elongated segments, while the antennae of cigarette beetles are saw-like in appearance.

Biology: Females lay their eggs singly in or near the food they are infesting. The eggs hatch within a few days. The larval period lasts four to five months, and the pupal stage lasts 12 to 18 days. The complete life cycle takes about seven months. There may be four generations per year depending on environmental conditions.

Habits: Drugstore beetles feed on all types of foods and spices, as well as on leather, wool, hair, books, drugs and museum items. They readily penetrate packaging materials. The adults can fly and are attracted to light.

(Source: PCT Technician’s Handbook)